Dr. Downes joined Hilbert in 1997, teaching primarily in the areas of family violence, women and criminal justice, criminology, and diversity issues. She was honored in 2001 with the Hilbert Excellence in Teaching Award in recognition of her superior teaching, classroom innovations, and curricular development.
An Eden resident, Dr. Downes is a member of the American Sociological Association, Society for the Study of Social Problems, and American Association of University Women.
Dr. Downes received doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in sociology from the University at Buffalo.